Monthly Archives: May 2017

Ximena is a conservation fellow at Chester Zoo UK, and research associate at WildCRU, University of Oxford. Based in Bolivia, Xime has been actively involved in the study of the ecology and conservation of Andean bears. She has an M.S. in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Leicester, UK, and a Ph.D from the University of Antwerp, Belgium

Conserving large carnivores is a pressing issue worldwide. The ecological and conservation roles of bears, as keystone and umbrella species, and even the cultural importance of this group addressed by the scientific community, is rarely reflected at the local level where communities suffer diverse costs from coexisting with bears. In Bolivia 45% of people live in poverty, and Inter-Andean dry forest (IADF) poverty reaches the 90%. This is a joint project of Chester Zoo and WildCRU to assess human-bear conflict in the Inter – Andean dry forest of Tarija, Bolivia, an ecosystem identified as a priority for Andean bear research and conservation, and to estimate bear’s population size.

Dr. Vinicius Mariano de Carvalho is Lecturer in Brazilian Studies at King’s College London and Honorary Professor for Brazilian Studies at Aarhus University in Denmark. He researches in Brazilian Defence and Security issues.

Organized crime and drug gangs are increasing their activities in Brazil in recent years. Violent crimes related to territorial dispute by drug gangs are creating a feeling of war zone in many urban centers in Brazil, with very high homicide rates. This problem is, however, not restricted to Brazilian territory, but is affecting the region as a whole. This talk will present the current situation of organized crime in Brazil and discuss the international consequences of this issue, especially regarding Bolivia, Colombia and Paraguay.

Our aim is to promote and encourage social, cultural and commercial relations between Bolivia and the United Kingdom.